Georgian man who refused to leave his partly-occupied house buried behind barbed-wire-fences

Georgian citizen Data Vanishvili, who has become a symbol of the resistance and fight against the Russian occupation, was buried earlier today in the village of Khurvaleti, in the cemetery of his ancestors which is now under illegal Russian occupation.

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Before his death Vanishvili asked his wife not to leave the house and the territory which is partly occupied by Russians. 

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Data Vanishvili, who died aged 90 on March 19, was buried in the cemetery of Khurvaleti village earlier today. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Back in 2011 Vanishvili woke up to find that a barbed wire fence installed by Russian border guards had cut his house off from the rest of Georgia. 

Not only the house but the agricultural land, his wheat fields, which formerly was his means of generating an income, were behind the barbed wire fence.

Many people, including current and former officials, have offered condolences to Vanishvili’s wife since March 19 from the other side of the barbed-wire-fence. 

Vanishvili's wife receiving condolences from the other side of the barbed-wife-fence. Photo: RFE/RL. 

Only several relatives were allowed to cross the occupation line and attend the burial. 

Vanishvili was well-known for his activities against the occupation. He always spoke out loudly about the injustice and was not afraid of the Russian occupiers.

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In memory of Data Vanishvili, whose resilience in the face of Russian occupation will remain an inspiration until Russia fulfills its commitments.

Photo by Mariam Dolidze pic.twitter.com/kbvZG4sMIk

— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) March 22, 2021